Being Mortal
by Aurora BoreAlice
Summary: Ego is gone, and with him Peter's connection to the Light. He wasn't sure which was worse, losing part of his soul or losing his dad. But nothing is as it seems and things are going to change for his family.
1. Chapter 1

Peter ran his thumb over the little bit of hair left on the troll doll. The silly toy had been a game between him and Yondu for years, ever since he'd found it during a job and had switched out his captains yaka arrow with it. The ravager threatened to finally eat him when it happened, but within a week Peter found the little doll in the place he'd left his Walkman. Since then it's had been a competition to see who could sneak around the other. Yondu always claimed it was great training, but Peter knew better, even if he hadn't acknowledged it before now. To find it among Yondu's things when they went to prepare him for his burial had caused a stab of emotional agony he hadn't been expecting. Then just before they sent him into the incinerator Peter had pocketed the toy, unable to lose everything from his dad. Because that was who Yondu had been. He'd certainly done a better job of it than his grandfather, or his own biological father turned out to have tried to do.

Turning before he shut his door he noticed Gamora watching him with a little frown. Catching his eye she gave a little smile and nod, she would be around when he was ready, or drunk enough, to talk about everything. He nodded back, but couldn't bring himself to smile. But he knew she'd understand. He closed the door and once he was alone his face fell and deep lines from stress appeared around his eyes and mouth. In the space of a few days he'd found his father and lost his dad, and more than anything he was bone tired and numb.

He reverently placed the doll on the shelf next to his bed and let himself drop onto the padded liner with a heavy sigh. Of course his real father had to be the one massively powerful sentient planet in the entire galaxy. His mouth twisted when he thought about what Ego had done to his mother, just because he didn't feel like he could withstand the temptation of having her alive. Thinking about all the things his mother had told him about his father made him want to revive the arrogant god and kill him all over again. Meredith had been one of the most loving persons in the world, and she died because some hunk of rock with a superiority complex didn't want her messing up his plans.

Peter took a few deep breaths and rolled onto his side before he started yelling or punching the walls. Yeah that would go over well with the rest of his dysfunctional family, patching his up because he broke his hand in a temper tantrum.

Thinking about his time the last few days on Ego Peter held his hand out in front his face. He could still remember the thrill of holding pure energy in his hands. It had felt electrifying in a way he couldn't describe, yet so very right. That brief game of catch had made his feel like he'd had fifteen Ergon energy shots. He'd been giddy and riding high that whole night. Gamora had probably thought he'd been drinking again. He hated to admit it, but even not knowing what he could do most of his life, he hated the empty feeling it had left once Ego had died. Even if he'd had a jet pack he doubted he'd have been able to get off the planet without Yondu's help. The sudden severing how part of his soul had left him dazed and broken. The loss of his dad so soon after had helped him snap out of it, but now that the funeral was done he was finding that he just couldn't help but notice the void left behind.

"Just mortal, huh?" He made a fist and shook his head. Maybe it was a good thing. Look was immortality had done to Ego. At least as a mortal he wouldn't have to worry about living long enough to go insane with power. Plus he knew without his family, all of whom would eventually die, he wouldn't know what to do with himself.

Peter grunted and rolled back onto his back. He'd stewed long enough, now he just wanted to listen to his music and ignore the galaxy for a while. With a small grimace he grabbed the new, to him anyways, Zune and started playing around with it. It wasn't long before a list of familiar tunes was created and he was laying back with his eye closed. Soon he was humming along to The Five Stairsteps and tapping lightly on his stomach to the beat. It wasn't his Walkman, but the songs were just as familiar, if less crackly.

Unseen by him small sparks of blue energy danced along his hand and danced through the air before fading out like sparks of fire in the air above his body. Eventually he dropped off into a fitful sleep and the sparks faded completely as if they'd never been there.


	2. Chapter 2

*****Author's notes*****

Whoa! I am blown away with the response to this! I have to admit I was not expecting this!

Now as you can clearly see this was not just a one-shot. I saw the movie a few days ago and promptly came home looking for powerful!Peter fics and was sad not to find any. So without further ado enjoy the fic!

With a jaw cracking yawn Peter leaned back in the pilot's seat and stretched, making his spine pop and snap. Rocket walking up behind him shuddered and winced.

"Oh! Ew, ew, ew! That is disgusting!" A grim spread over Peter's face as he popped his back one more time just for the little mammal.

"You here to finally trade me, pest?" The man stood and stretched, making way for Rocket to get by and sit.

"Still not a pest, ya dumb Terran. But yeah." The raccoon got to work adjusting the controls so he could reach them before sitting back to man the helm while they floated through space. It had only been a few days since Ego was destroyed and everyone was still lounging around and recovering. Already the bruises had started to fade, although Mantis still had a rather bad knot on her head.

Peter hummed as he started to wander off but paused when his friend called back to him.

"Hey Peter, go get some sleep. You're starting to make my rings look pale in comparison."

Peter snorted and gave him a one finger salute, but did head towards his one rooms. He'd been having some trouble sleeping, and by trouble he meant he ended up laying there staring at the ceiling for hours with no sign of sleep. He'd nod off for an hour or two when he basically passed out, but other than that he was running on no rest.

He crashed onto his bed again and stuck in his headphones, hoping some music would help his mind shut down. If he could just stop thinking he'd be fast asleep. But visions and thoughts about his mother and father, as well as his dad, kept chasing each other around. With a sigh Peter prepared himself for another long rest period.

Two days later the rest of their mixed family had noticed how pale and listless Peter was getting. With all his usual tact Drax had told him that he looked less attractive than Mantis. Which had lead to Gamora chewing him out and him reassuring Mantis that she was beautiful...on the inside at least.

Peter had just snorted and gone back to his meal. That was how things usually went. Someone says something, someone else takes offence, the first person defends their actions or words, then in their own convoluted way apologizes. It was pretty damn dysfunctional, but it worked for them.

Then a tiny voice piped up making them all take notice.

"I am Groot?"

Peter raised a brow at him them turned to Rocket since he was usually the one who replied to Groots questions.

Rocket sighed and shook his head, not sure how to explain the grief cycle to a virtual toddler.

"No, Groot, he's not sick. Peter's just letting his emotions turn him into a little girl."

Drax laughed loudly at that and Peter gave the rodent the stink eye, "Don't listen to him Groot, I'm just a little tired. And at least my bags will go away, unlike certain small mammals I could mention."

Rocket growled lightly, but didn't really take offence. He'd been called worse.

"Yeah, whatever you say Star Princess." Rocket turned back to his plate.

"Furry Rodent." Peter replied before taking a drink.

"I am Groot!" the little tree growled out at Rocket.

Rocket's jaw just about hit the floor. Peter spit out the juice he'd been drinking across the table and onto Mantis. Gamora gave a scandalized yelp and Drax just slapped his knee red in the face from trying to laugh and talk.

"The small tree gave you a great insult!" Drax didn't even try to stifle his chuckles when Gamora threw him a tight lipped glare.

Once Peter had stopped trying to inhale his drink he patted Groot on the head and tried and failed to hide his amusement. "Now Groot, buddy, I know you were just trying to be on my side, but you can't just call people a-" he considered how to phrase it, "...well that whole first part. Plus you know Rocket doesn't like to be called a dumb raccoon. Now what do we say to Rocket?"

The little plant sighed but gave Rocket a big eyed stare, "I am Groot..."

Rocket considered for a moment before nodding, "Apology accepted...and I'm not a freaking raccoon."

The rest of the meal went without incident, although Drax would occasionally start to laugh and they would all take turns reminding him not to encourage that bad behavior.

But it was on their way to their own amusement for the night, or duties, that Peter grabbed Mantis and started walking with her down the hall.

Once he was sure they were out of earshot he sighed and hand went up to rub at his neck.

"Is there something bothering you?" she questioned in wide eyed innocence.

"Yeah, well, I mean," he started, "It's just...can you help me sleep?" He glanced around to make sure no one, especially Gamora and Rocket could hear, he'd never hear the end of it. "It's okay if you don't want to. I just thought that you could...you know."

The pale alien nodded in understanding, "You have been troubled. It was often the same with my master."

"Don't." Peter held up a hand and his shoulders came up defensively. Seeing that he'd startled her he put down his hand with a sigh, "It's okay. Just don't compare me to the a-hole, okay?"

Mantis slowly nodded her head, "I understand Peter. You should lay down."

It took him a moment longer than he's like to admit to catch on but once he did he hurried to open his room and lay down on the bed. "I really appreciate this, Mantis. If there's anything I can do to-"

A hand on his forehead shut him up and he stared up into her large dark eyes for only a moment before with a murmured command he was falling into blessed oblivion. He didn't even have time to thank her before he was out and snoring softly.

Mantis stumbled back from the bed with a gasp as shivers ran down her shoulders and arms. It had only been for a moment, but deep in Peter's mind she'd felt something that was as familiar to her as her own antenna. There was a kind of warmth deep in his subconscious so familiar that she could have been back on Ego with her master simulacrum.

Deeply troubled she stared down at the unassuming form of her new friend and felt dread run down her spine. Maybe she'd never be under Ego's thumb again, but a jolt like that had taken her back to before she'd met them.

With several backwards glances she left the room and shut the door, before sliding down to sit on the floor while she got her breathing back under control. She was still sitting there half an hour later when Gamora walked by and saw her.


	3. Chapter 3

*****Author's notes*****

First of all, I have been blown away with the response to this fic! Before posting this, there are more views then words in the story! I'm having so much fun writing it, so I'm glad to see other people enjoying just as much as me.

Secondly, sorry about the long wait this time! My hubby and I just got a new puppy and I've been extremely sleep deprived ever since. He's finally sleeping through the night now though so I have more time and energy to work on this. Little booger is lucky he's so cute and fluffy.

Lastly, thank you for the reviews! They make my day!

To say that Gamora was concerned to see the other woman sitting outside Peter's room looking like she was about to cry was a small understatement. She knelt down and put a hand on Mantis' shoulder, ignoring the small jump of surprise.

"Mantis? Is everything alright?" The innocent young woman let out a deep breath and turned wide dark eyes up to Gamora.

"I am afraid that there may be something...wrong with Peter."

Dark eyes snapping in anger Gamora jumped to her feet and scowled at the closed door, "What did that idiot do to you!" She was ready to go storming and and drag the part Terran out by his ear, but Mantis jumped up and shushed her.

"Please be quiet! We should not wake him." Gamora raised a brow, skeptical, but didn't immediately barge into the room.

"Want to tell me why you were sitting outside his bedroom?" Gamora waited as Mantis' expressive face went through several emotions before she nodded and leaned in to speak quietly.

"Peter asked me to help him fall asleep, since he has not been able to for some nights," she began. Gamora felt her eyebrows both raise at the explanation. "But...when I used my powers to enter his mind and calm it I found something. He felt like..." Mantis trialed off and looked down and away.

"Felt like what?" she prompted, bringing her face back towards her own with a gentle hand. The Zen-Whoberis felt dread pool in her stomach at the frightened look on Mantis' face. A thousand scenarios ran through her mind; Peter was dying, Peter was turning into Ego, Peter was losing his memories. It had to been bad.

Mantis straightened, "His mind had an energy that feels the same as Ego. Ego's mind was the same when I would help him sleep."

Gamora blinked. That was not what she'd expected to hear. "His mind? Are you sure?" Mantis nodded, confident in what she'd felt.

"I am sure." A whistling down the hall made them both turn to look, but they dismissed it soon enough as Kraglin practicing. "His mind feels no different from Ego's."

Gamora didn't say anything for a while but when she did Mantis felt her lips turn down in the barest of frowns.

"It could mean anything, maybe there's just some leftover energy from when they fought. It was only a few days ago. We don't even know if that's just normal for Peter anyways. He is only half Terran after all."

Mantis shook her head vehemently, "No! I know what I felt! His mind did not feel the same when I used my powers on him on the way to Ego. I could tell he was Ego's sone but-"

Gamora cut her off shaking her head, "It doesn't matter. No," she stopped Mantis as she went to protest, "For all we know it's nothing. Don't tell Peter, or mention this to the others. Not until we have proof that there's something there."

The Empath wanted to argue further but sighed as she felt the strong stubborn vibes coming off of Gamora. She knew that trying to prove her theory wouldn't get her anywhere right now.

"Very well," she spoke up a little to be heard over the whistling they'd all been learning to ignore, "I will hold my peace until we are certain that Peter has retained the powers he gained from Ego."

Gamora nodded and gave the smaller woman and quick pat on the shoulder, "Thank you, I just don't want to worry everyone if it's nothing. Come on, let's get-"

As she turned to head back towards their own bedrooms Gamora yelped as the yaka arrow sped past her face and tangled in her hair.

With a snarl she reached up and grabbed ahold of it, "Excuse me Mantis." With a thunderous expression she stomped around the corner towards where the whistling had cut off from and Mantis could hear Kraglin yelp in pain. She winced sympathetically, but just turned and went the other way, not feeling up to stopping Gamora from returning the arrow to Kraglin's cybernetic controller.

The next awake cycle saw most of the crew tinkering or otherwise spending time around the main deck of the ship, with the exception of Peter and a mysteriously absent Kraglin. Gamora was working on taking apart and cleaning her gun while Drax was making Mantis giggle as he explained how he'd met his new family. Rocket was, if Gamora had to guess, fiddling with a new explosive.

"Haven't we almost blown up the ship enough time this week?" she snarked at the rodent as she used a small wrench to help pry apart a stubborn piece of casing.

Rocket shot her a look and snorted, "Whatever, you've caused way more accidents in here since we got off Ego."

"What are you talking about," she huffed. "I don't play wit things that could crack our hull in here!"

He flashed her a sharp toothed grin and waved to his left where a partially covered dent in the wall could be see, "Oh? That so? I guess I just imagined that little incident then?" Gamoa flushed a dark green but just rolled her eyes. Groot looked up from an old coloring book, a small grin forming on his face.

"He wouldn't have gone through the hull!" Rocket just raised a brow and turned to a quietly coloring Groot.

"Sheesh, did I miss the memo about the PMS party or something?"

Gamora snarled and hurled the wrench in her hand at his head, and he scrambled out of the way just in time to send it thudding with a high pitched twang in the door.

Peter, who'd just come through that same door simply raised a brow at the two of them before grinning.

"Well good morning to you all too!" He sauntered in and took a seat by Groot.

Rocket tossed him a lazy salute before going back to his bomb, "Morning princess, you don't look like death today."

Peter tossed a grin towards Mantis and chuckled when she looked down with a flushed face. "Thanks, and you look less like a tree rat today too. Anyways," he waved to cut off that conversation before it could devolve into an insult war, "I'm glad everyone seems so lively today! I found us a new job!"

He just grinned at they mix of resigned, unenthusiastic, and interested looks they threw him.

By now Eocket had given up on the bomb, obviously he wasn't going to be left alone long enough to finish this right now. "Already? Can't we just spend out vacation like normal people and be completly useless and lazy?"

"We are on a vacation?" Drax questioned in the background.

"Nope!" Peter eaggerated the 'o' making it pop as he grined at Rocket, "It's going to be a super easy gig anyways….plus they offered us 2,000,000 units."

His nonchalant posture was at odds with the knowing smirk he threw them as the mount made them all perk up. Gamora groaned, since she already knew Rocket was in and she'd lost her only ally in this debate.

But as Peter and Quill started planning what they could spend the units on, she couldn't help but look his over. He really did look better this morning. The color was mostly back in his face, and the bags under his eyes were all but gone. There was still a dark cloud over his head that made the lines stand out in his face, but he looked better than he had all week. Even still, no matter how hard she stared she just couldn't see anythingreally different about him. Mantis was mistaken, she had to be.

Then she jumped as Rocket snapped his fingers right in her face, only just stopping herself from punching him.

"Bridge to Gamora! D'you copy?" he asked with a raised brow.

"What? Sorry I wasn't listening." she shook herself and tuned back into reality. Mantis was shooting her meaningful looks that she must have thought were subtle, but just made her look constipated.

"Yeah, we noticed," Peter huffed. "You know I don't just share my master plans to repeat them every two minutes." He crossed his arms to pout, but an eye roll from Gamora made his smile again.

"Well now that everyone's with us this is the job," he turned on a screen on the wall that showed a mostly rustic planet. They were connected to the rest of the galactic alliance, but as a planet of farmers they didn't have much on the way of technology.

"This is Darevskii Beta. They make a mean Garum berry pie, have no real military might, and a snake infestation." He clicked the picture over to show a coiled snake with vivid green and yellow stripes.

"These are Darevskii Vipers!" Rocket shook his head at the level of enthusiasm Peter was exuding. "All they want is for us to go in and slice and dice," he nodded to Gamora and Drax, "or otherwise shoot and explode these little buggers." Peter shrugged at the skeptical looks he got. "They said they're ruining their berry crops. C'mon! It's a quick job! In, out, and 2,000,000 units richer!"

Rocket groaned but eventually sighed, "Fine...it's better than sitting around here all day surrounded by these sticks in the mud."

"I will maintain the ship as you all go fight," Mantis offered, not very keen to be in the middle of another firefight anytime soon.

Drax was grinning now. "I will purge Darevskii of these vermin far more quickly than any of you!"

In the end they all turned to look at Gamora. Sighing deeply she nodded, "Very well, I will go along with this." But she pointed at Peter with a small frown, "But this job better be as easy as you say it will be."

Peter was almost vibrating with anticipation of a new job, "I promise, this will be the easiest job we've ever taken."


End file.
